No token Aussie for Socceroos job: Ange

Sam Lienert And Adrian Warren

Graham Arnold believes an Australian is ready to succeed sacked Holger Osieck as Socceroos coach and says he'd be honoured if Football Federation Australia chose him for the job.

Fellow A-League coach Ange Postecoglou says he's also ready to do whatever he can to help the growth of Australian football, but doesn't want someone to get the job just because of a groundswell to appoint an Australian.

"The only thing I would recommend strongly is to appoint the best person for the job," Postecoglou told reporters on Saturday night.

"I don't like this whole 'Let's go local as opposed to overseas.'

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"It's our national team, whoever the best person for the job is, that's who should get it. It's too important."

Asked if the disappointment of seeing the Socceroos suffer successive 6-0 losses to Brazil and France had stoked his passion to step into the top job, Postecoglou wouldn't directly declare his hand.

"I'm driven by one thing, I want to grow the game in this country, that's all I'm interested in," he said.

"So wherever I'm best placed to do that, I'll do it."

But Arnold, who cautioned against a stop-gap appointment just until next year's World Cup, believes Australian coaches are ready, after Dutchmen Guus Hiddink and Pim Verbeek led Australia to the past two World Cups, then Osieck led the Socceroos through the qualification campaign for the 2014 showpiece event.

"Do I want it? I'm a very proud Australian and I love the Socceroos and it's killing me watching those games, those results," Arnold told reporters.

"It would be an honour if they looked that way and they looked down the Australian pathway for coaches.

"I had ten years with national teams, two World Cups, sitting on the bench at national team level and I've obviously learned a lot.

"I do believe Australian coaches are now ready."

Arnold said Postecoglou and Tony Popovic were also good candidates.

But after a previous stint as interim Socceroos coach, Arnold said the next appointment should be long-term.

"I was in the unfortunate experience in 2007 of being an interim coach and it's not fun, because you've got no power and the players know that," he said.

"If there was nothing after the World Cup, I can understand, but six months after you've got the Asian Cup here in Australia.

"A part-time appointment or a short-term fix, I don't think is a solution."